Paulo Coelho – Manuscript Found in Accra

Score: 5/10

“Why do you read him if you have no love for him then?” (You)

Right?

I have, obviously, a ton of love for him, because when I saw that my local bookshop has 3 titles of his, I haven’t read, I hesitated precisely 0.87 seconds to buy all three of them. My eyes shone like those of a little kid seeing a toy and I couldn’t wait to go home and finally open the book. Particularly this one. You know I love this kind of books. The very word “manuscript” makes me feel like wearing those khaki shorts and climb down to that temple of long hidden knowledge. I feel my fingers getting all sandy and I narrow my eyes to adjust for the lack of light as my life seems to be occurring in a cave and I only have a torch, no light bulbs. In other words, I endlessly love this. I’m even wearing my “prophet’s shirt” today! (Once we get a little closer, I will share a pic of it, so you know I’m risking my job by displaying my mood this way!)

“Mirko, why then? Why only 5?!” (You begging…)

I’m perplexed. That’s why. I’m a little worried that he (Paulo) just wrote down his opinions on different aspects of an ordinary life and he just dressed it in that clothes of a “long lost papyrus “so we listen a bit more attentively. And how dare he? If it’s not a lost document, I’m not going to listen to his advises even if they sound like the smartest thing you can do. And I hate him for this!

I hate him for putting me in the position where I need to explain to myself why would I rather take an advice from someone who is long gone and I’ve never met, over someone’s who proved to be smart, even wise, time and time again and try to answer that question yourself! It’s not a nice position to be in. As you know, I like to think about myself to be an open-minded, (yes even) well-traveled, gentleman.

AND I miss the story or a plot. I know the most beautiful things come in a simple package, but this is way too explicit for me.

(I’m sure my wife is going to love it. She loves explicitness (She would want me to add to the previous statement, so you understand what I meant by “I’m sure my wife is going to love it”. I feel like I could elaborate a bit more on this, but you might understand this subtle hint of mine already.) Just horsing around, I love her, but I’m happy to share this bit of my life with you. Mainly because it gets us closer to the point where I would be able to share my “prophet’s shirt” with you. I want you to appreciate my courage for wearing it…Maybe next time.)

Favorite lines(well, first one is technically from the Bible, but it’s a huge one for me, especially in the whole Mirko’s suggestions(and warnings) context and second one it’s really a teaser as the whole “on Anxiety” chapter it’s something you want to read!!!):

“Therefore, scatter your seed wherever you go, because we can never know which seeds will grow and flourish and enlighten the next generation.”

“Although we cannot control God’s time, it is part of the human condition to want to receive the thing we are waiting for as quickly as possible.

Or to drive away whatever is causing our fear.

How can you tell a passionate heart to be still and contemplate the miracles of Creation in silence, free of tension, fear and unanswerable questions?

Anxiety is part of love, and should not be blamed because of that.

How can you tell someone not to worry when he has invested his money and his life in a dream and has yet to see any results? The farmer cannot speed the progress of the seasons in order to pick the fruit he planted, but he waits impatiently for the coming of autumn and harvest-time.

How can you ask a warrior not to feel anxious before a battle?
He has trained to the point of exhaustion for that moment, he has given of his best, and while he believes he is prepared, he fears that all his efforts could prove to be in vain.

Anxiety was born in the very same moment as mankind. And since we will never be able to master it, we will have to learn to live with it – just as we have learned to live with storms.